Archive

Xiaomi’s Black Shark gaming phone brand sets up an HQ in India, hinting at imminent launch

Xiaomi’s Black Shark gaming phone brand sets up an HQ in India, hinting at imminent launch

February 28, 2019
Many were skeptical of the idea of a segment of smartphones specifically dedicated to gaming, but it actually looks to be gaining momentum. We have multiple companies coming up with their own version of what they think a gaming-focused smartphone should be. The Black Shark is what Xiaomi came up with. We first heard about...
LineageOS 16 based on Android Pie is here for the Xiaomi POCO F1, OnePlus 5/5T, Honor View 10, and more

LineageOS 16 based on Android Pie is here for the Xiaomi POCO F1, OnePlus 5/5T, Honor View 10, and more

February 28, 2019
The custom ROM ecosystem is rather large and diverse, but if there’s one custom ROM that we could consider to be “the biggest” of them all, then that would be LineageOS. With almost 1.8 million active installs at the end of 2018, the project's install base is definitely noteworthy but said success mainly harkens back...
[Discussion] What’s the better foldable: Samsung Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X?

[Discussion] What’s the better foldable: Samsung Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X?

February 28, 2019
The race for foldable devices is now officially on. During Samsung's Unpacked event, the company officially unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the consumer version of their long-awaited foldable phone, alongside their Galaxy S10 line of flagship smartphones. Shortly after, during MWC 2019, Huawei launched the Huawei Mate X, their own take on a foldable device....
Sony Xperia 1, Xperia 10, and Xperia 10 Plus forums are open

Sony Xperia 1, Xperia 10, and Xperia 10 Plus forums are open

February 28, 2019
Among the plethora of devices announced at MWC 2019, Sony dropped three new Xperia phones with peculiar names. The Xperia 1 is the flagship, high-end phone, while the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus are mid-rangers. Forums for these three devices are now open! The big thing about these phones is their display aspect ratios. 21:9...
How to remap Bixby to Google Assistant on the Samsung Galaxy S10, Note 9, and other One UI devices

How to remap Bixby to Google Assistant on the Samsung Galaxy S10, Note 9, and other One UI devices

February 28, 2019
At Samsung Unpacked, Samsung announced their new Samsung Galaxy S10 series and Galaxy Fold. After the press discovered a new option in Bixby, Samsung confirmed that the button would be natively remappable. With an update released to the Bixby app on older One UI devices today, this is finally possible. However, it wasn't all good...
All Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+ units will come with a factory pre-installed screen protector

All Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+ units will come with a factory pre-installed screen protector

February 28, 2019
Just when you think you know everything about the Galaxy S10 devices, which were released just a few days ago, Samsung manages and puts out a new piece of information before they even go on sale. First was the camera cutout hiding feature, then Bixby remapping, and now it's pre-applied screen protectors. During the release...
Nokia 9, Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 1 Plus forums are open

Nokia 9, Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 1 Plus forums are open

February 28, 2019
MWC unleashed a ton of new smartphones on the Android world. HMD Global was among the crowd with a slew of Nokia devices. The Nokia 9 PureView is the jewel of the bunch with its crazy-looking penta-camera setup. Not to be forgotten, HMD Global also announced three Android One phones: the Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2,...
Unofficial LineageOS 15.1 is now available for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8

Unofficial LineageOS 15.1 is now available for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8

February 28, 2019
While most of the world can easily buy an Exynos version of Samsung devices, those of us in the United States and Canada have to find a reseller. Many people prefer the Exynos version of Samsung's flagship smartphones because of how easy they allow the bootloader to be unlocked. This is normally where enthusiasts install...
Hands-on with the smallest 5G phone, the Nubia Mini 5G

Hands-on with the smallest 5G phone, the Nubia Mini 5G

February 28, 2019
One of the biggest challenges facing us today with 5G is the increased form factor that devices will have to take on. The Samsung Galaxy S10+ is an example of this, where the 5G edition is bigger because of the mmWave antennae and the bigger battery required to power 5G connectivity. The LG V50 5G...
Google’s App Security Improvement Program has helped catch vulnerabilities in over 1,000,000 apps

Google’s App Security Improvement Program has helped catch vulnerabilities in over 1,000,000 apps

February 28, 2019
Security is a common concern when it comes to smartphones and it has always been especially important for Android. Google has done a lot over the years to change Android's reputation and improve security. Monthly Android security patches are just one part of the puzzle. Five years ago, the company launched the Application Security Improvement...
Samsung won’t let you remap the Bixby button to Google Assistant, but there’s a workaround

Samsung won’t let you remap the Bixby button to Google Assistant, but there’s a workaround

February 28, 2019
The Samsung Galaxy S10 line of devices haven't even been released yet, but they are already receiving updates. Actually, the first update was released just yesterday. It adds the option to remap the Bixby button on the Samsung Galaxy S10+. We already knew this feature was coming, as it was widely noticed on the pre-release...
[Update: Rolling out] Samsung Galaxy S9, Note 9, and other One UI devices will get Bixby remapping in an update

[Update: Rolling out] Samsung Galaxy S9, Note 9, and other One UI devices will get Bixby remapping in an update

February 28, 2019
Samsung smartphones radiate its ingenuity and expertise in the area of hardware. While the same is not 100% true for its software, Samsung has been taking feedback from the consumers and has improved its software experience significantly with the new Android 9 Pie-based One UI. The company also appears to have heard some feedback about its smart...